Muhsin Ertugral is fortunate in that in his team he has a number of very experienced players who have been to many cup finals before, he will be looking in their direction when his team enters the field on Saturday evening to play Mamelodi Sundowns in the Telkom KnockOut Final.

To act as a guiding light for some of his players who have not yet been part of the final match of a major competition, with the winning team walking away with R4.25 million, he will not want any slip-ups to cost them on the night. In his team Ertugral has three players in particular who are by no means inexperienced, even though they might be classified as Cup Final rookies.

Kaizerchiefs.com caught up with them and got their thoughts on what will be their first Cup final.

Khune close to cup glory

Having twice been on the bench during Chiefs' most recent Cup victories, which were the Amakhosi’s 2005-06 ABSA Cup and the 2006-07 SAA Supa8 triumphs, the young goalkeeper, who has been outstanding since making his Chiefs debut in August, is not nervous but is anxious to get out on the Loftus pitch for Saturday’s game saying.

“At the start of the season I never thought that I would play a game this season, let alone a cup final so should I play on Saturday it will be a dream realized, I don’t feel any pressure going into the game I am looking to giving my best on Saturday”.

During Chiefs' opening game of the tournament against Moroka Swallows, he was named the man of the match, and was Chiefs' hero in the shoot out. Since then he has kept clean sheets in the quarter and semifinals.

With him, and Sundowns keeper Brian Baloyi - both having only conceded two goals throughout the Cup, the battle for the R100 000 prize as the goalkeeper of the tournament could not be more intense.

Khune, though is not concentrating on the individual prize purse, “Anything over and above what I help the team achieve is a bonus right now I feel I need to think about keeping a clean sheet and not putting pressure on the guys by letting in any goals”.

Bhasera place on the mantle place

The closest Onismor Bhasera has come to a cup final was when his former team, Maritzburg United, got to the final four of the 2005-06 ABSA Cup. United though were defeated by eventual finalists Orlando Pirates in the semi’s.

He has the necessary knowledge to guide him on Saturday, he also feels that given the tough draw Chiefs had in making it this far, playing in the final will not be anything different.

“If you look at the games and the teams we have played so far, all of the previous rounds have been like cup finals to us. The pressure and the occasion has been just like it will be on Saturday, so I do not think there will be anything different on Saturday. In the previous rounds we knew that it was a case of 'one slip up and you out of the tournament' and it will be the same on Saturday. Really, the only difference this time around is that when we win, we will get a trophy which will be, from my side, dedicated to the fans. The rest of the factors are the same for me”.

That wonder goal

Mabhudi Khenyeza will long be remembered for his goal this past weekend against Orlando Pirates, in what can only be described as a goal from a Roy of the Rovers Comic book series. Khenyeza blasted Chiefs into a spectacular lead in what was The Amakhosi’s fastest goal in PSL history.

What he would not give to score a goal on Saturday evening in what will be his first appearance in a cup final. Khenyeza, speaking of his first outing on such a stage said, “Playing in a cup final will be a new experience for me and one that I am most definitely looking forward to. There is also the side of me that is a bit nervous because I have not yet played in such a game before. Scoring against Pirates last week in a game that can be likened to a Cup Final has given me a lift and my confidence is up. Basically it is up to me to not let the team down on the day and do what is asked of me, my job is to hit the back of the net from all angles and I will try to do that again on Saturday”.